‘Rishabh Pant talks a lot about his batting, just not while batting’

Rishabh Pant's batting habits under scrutiny

Rishabh Pant's century was cut short when he lost his shoe and was dismissed LBW by Josh Tongue shortly after. This incident is reminiscent of the Sydney Test in 2021 when Pant was dismissed for 97 after being asked to be more circumspect by Cheteshwar Pujara.

India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak clarified that Pant doesn't like being spoken to while batting, but otherwise, he talks a lot about his batting and methods. Kotak said, "Rishabh actually talks a lot about what he does, when he does it, why he does it… He's someone who doesn't like talking too much during his innings because he feels that that changes his mindset, and he takes the wrong decision."

Kotak also highlighted the importance of planning in Test cricket, saying, "It's not so easy to score Test hundreds or not so easy to be successful at this level without having any planning." He praised Pant and other attacking batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal for bringing variety to India's batting order.

More assistance for seamers at Lord's?

There is an expectation that England will prepare a pitch with more assistance for their seamers at Lord's. Kotak said, "Generally, the normal Lord's Test, the scores of the first and second innings, are comparatively low. So you can expect that there can be more help for the bowlers." He emphasized the importance of mindset, saying, "Spending time on the wicket is the best friend you can have. The more time you spend on the wicket, the more you will adjust to the wicket."